3 Ways to Instill a Culture of Authenticity and Self-Empowerment

Small but powerful steps you can take to foster connection and well-being.

As a leader, creating a culture that celebrates authenticity and empowerment can boost employee engagement and improve retention. Gen Z will make up 27% of the workforce in three years, and research shows these employees value life-work integration and mental health support more than anything else. As managers, we have an opportunity to embed well-being into our workflows from the moment a new employee joins our team.

Here are three tips to help you instill a culture of authenticity and self-empowerment on your team:

Model self-care 

There’s a reason why airline attendants always instruct us that, in case of emergency, we’re better able to help others if we secure our own oxygen masks first. When we accept that it’s the quality — not the quantity — of our decisions that really matters, it’s easier to understand how recharging and disconnecting are essential to our performance. When we’re burned out, sleep deprived, and always on, our decision making and leadership suffer. You might not think about this as a core part of your job, but your employees are looking to you for cues regarding workplace culture and habits. If you model leadership behaviors that lead to burnout, your team will follow suit. Likewise, if you model self-care, you can lay the groundwork for a team that celebrates authenticity and protects against stress and burnout. 
 

Try this Microstep: When you take PTO, shut off your email, calendar, and chat notifications.

 Unplugging from work in our off-hours helps us feel less stressed and more engaged when we're back.
 

Foster connection on your teams 

As human beings, we’re hard-wired to connect. Having meaningful relationships is central to our well-being, in both the short and long term. At work, especially in a remote or hybrid workplace, making connections can be challenging. But 70 percent of people say having work friends is the most crucial element of a fulfilling work life. As a leader, you can foster relationships within your team by creating small moments to connect in team meetings and throughout each day. Encourage new employees to pair up with an accountability buddy, or add them to group projects that can help them get to know other members of your team. Encouraging these social connections will increase your team’s authenticity and sense of belonging.
 

Try this Microstep: At the start of your next meeting, encourage everyone to share their point of view. 

Inviting others to open up without fear of judgment is a simple gesture to show your colleagues that their voices are welcome and valued.
 

Focus on managing the whole human 

The mindset shift we need to make as leaders is both simple and profound: We need to take a whole-human approach to leadership. This means seeing your team members not only as employees, but as human beings. Because if the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that our work and life are always integrated. Our work can give us purpose and meaning, but it shouldn’t take the place of life. And when we lead with this in mind, we set our people — and our entire organization — up for lasting success. Start by asking teammates what’s important to them, what’s on their mind, and what they’re grateful for. These questions can start as soon as their Entry Interview, encouraging a culture of well-being and connection from the beginning.
 

Try this Microstep: Open a meeting with a personal question rather than a work-related one. 

Taking the opportunity to go deeper with a teammate helps you be more authentic and forges a deeper connection.